A syllable is a single sound in a word. Every syllable has one vowel sound. You can clap or tap while saying a word to find its syllables.

How to Count Syllables

• Say the word slowly: ma-ngo → 2 syllables
• Say the word slowly: banana → 3 syllables
• Say the word slowly: water-mel-on → 3 syllables

Two-syllable words have two parts. Look at these examples from your textbook:

Tip: When you read two-syllable words, give equal time to each syllable. Do not rush through the first part!

Some words have three or more syllables. These are called multi-syllable words.

Tip: Break long words into smaller parts. Read each part slowly, then put them together.

Now you are ready to read simple short stories! Follow these steps:

Step 1: Look at the Title

The title tells you what the story is about. Example from your textbook: "A bad man paid the price"

Step 2: Read the Story Slowly

Read each sentence carefully. Do not rush!

Step 3: Find the Characters

Who is in the story? In "A bad man paid the price," the characters are: Tupendane, Toyo, the doctor, the policeman, and Tupendane's mother.

Step 4: Read with Expression

• Read questions with a rising voice
• Read happy parts with a happy voice
• Read serious parts with a serious voice

Step 5: Answer Questions

After reading, think about what happened and answer the questions.

Read this short story from your textbook:

Two friends went fishing One day, Monde and his friend Tutu went fishing at the river. Each had a fishing rod. Monde caught a very big fish. He screamed, "Tutuuu! Tutuuu! Come! I have caught a big fish." Tutu ran towards Monde. He grabbed the fishing rod and started pulling the fish out of water.

Questions to Answer

1. What did Monde catch? (A big fish)
2. Why did Monde scream? (He wanted Tutu to come and see the big fish)
3. What did Tutu do? (He helped Monde pull the fish out of the water)

• Practice every day – Read a little bit each day to improve
• Listen to others – Listen to your teacher and to audio materials
• Clap the syllables – This helps you read words in the right parts
• Read slowly at first – Speed will come with practice
• Look at pictures – Pictures help you understand the story

In Tanzania, you use reading aloud skills when you read announcements at school, when you tell a story to your friends or family, or when you read aloud the price of items at the market. For example, if you are helping sell mangoes at the market in Dar es Salaam, you might read aloud the price: "Mangoes are 2,000 shillings per kilogram!" This helps customers understand the price clearly.